Watch the World Burn
by VampQueenV
Summary: He saved her from her fate and sealed his own.


**AN:** Thanks to Meiri and brandy01 for the beta. This was one of my stories for the Fuh-Q-Fest on Granger Enchanted.

**Warnings: **Lemons, Coarse Language, Attempted Rape, Minor Character Death. So if you are underage, or those type of things unsettle you please hit the back button.

**Disclaimer: **Harry Potter is the property of JK Rowling. No copyright infringement is intended.

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Taunts and laughter infiltrated the haziness of Hermione's mind. Her vision was fuzzy as she opened her eyes, and pain racked her body as she struggled to move. A cold feeling of dread washed over her as she realised that she was tied to a table and, with a growing sense of alarm, she also realised that she was naked. Her fear increased as she struggled to remember what had happened. She recalled visiting her parents; she had Obliviated them and sent them away for their own safety. She remembered watching them leave before making her way back to headquarters but after that everything went blank, although the pain racking her body informed her she had been in a fight. The voices in the room got louder and Hermione struggled to move her head as she tried to see where she was and where the voices were coming from. Terror gripped her as she spied the white masks of the Death Eaters. She felt her stomach drop as she realised where she was and what had happened. Death Eaters had captured her.

One of the Death Eaters moved forward and removed his mask, a cruel smile on his face. Hermione recoiled in horror as she recognised him. Rodolphus Lestrange. Rodolphus was known throughout the Wizarding world for the part he played in what happened to Frank and Alice Longbottom. All the junior members of the Order of the Phoenix had been warned about him and his penchant for torturing Muggleborns. Rodolphus' calloused hands roamed over Hermione's trembling body; touching her in places he had no right to, where no man had ever touched her.

A whimper of distress escaped Hermione's lips as she screwed her eyes shut not wanting to stare in the eyes of the man who was going to rob her of her innocence. It may have been cowardly of her but she didn't care. She couldn't bear to see his face as he violated her. His rough hands groped her breasts, pinching her nipples painfully. One of his hands moved down her body and rested between her legs, she felt him probe her opening, and she bit back a cry of pain when he pushed a finger into her, refusing to let the bastard hear how much he was hurting her.

"I think we have a virgin here, boys. She's so tight," he taunted. "Don't worry, Mudblood, I'll take care of that, and we'll soon loosen you up."

Cruel mocking laughter filled the room and, to her horror, Hermione realised how many there were in the room, all of them waiting for their turn. She felt bile rising in her throat and swallowed it down. She refused to show them how scared she truly was. She kept her eyes closed as she felt him climb up onto the table and settle over her, the rough material of his trousers scratching her skin; she could feel his breath on her face as his erection pushed against her thigh. She heard him lower his zip and she moved her head to the left, a single tear leaked out the corner of her closed eyes as she prepared herself for the pain of his invasion. However, instead of the pain that she was expecting, she heard the unmistakable sound of spells being fired.

Screams of pain briefly filled the room, before it faded into silence. The unconscious form of Rodolphus lay on top of Hermione, his weight crushing her as she struggled for breath until she suddenly felt him pulled off of her. But she still refused to open her eyes fearing that all that had happened was that they had duelled over who was going to rape her first or, even worse, that it was a trick and none of them were actually hurt. When she felt the ropes on her arms being undone, she slowly opened her eyes expecting to see Harry, Ron or even a member of the Order of the Phoenix. Instead, to her shock, she saw Rabastan Lestrange. She flinched when his hands touched her legs as he untied the binds holding them down. As soon as she was free, she sat up and tried to cover her nakedness up the best she could. When she saw him remove his robe she swung her legs over the side of the table in an attempt to get away but, the moment her feet touched the cold floor, her legs buckled beneath her as pain racked her body. Unable to stop herself, she cried out and crumbled to the floor. Tears streamed down her face, a mixture of the pain and hopelessness she felt. She knew she was out of luck; there was no way she could escape on her own; she didn't have her wand and couldn't put any weight on her legs. She wrapped her arms around herself and waited preparing herself for the worst. She could hear his boot heels clicking against the tiled floor as he moved around the table getting closer to her. She lowered her head to her knees and let the tears flow, stiffening and curling up even smaller as she heard him bend down beside her. The expected pain never came and she felt him wrap his robe around her shoulders.

After wrapping the trembling naked witch in his robe, Rabastan placed one of his arms gently around her shoulders and the other under her legs and carefully lifted her into his arms. He held her close to his chest as he made his way across the room to the door.

Hermione felt herself being lifted into his arms and, against her better judgement, she began to relax. As much as she fought it, the pain and stress of the day's events began to take their toll on her and she slowly drifted into unconsciousness.

*~*~*

Rabastan stared out of the hotel room window, the setting sun bathing the room in a warm glow. The day's events kept playing over in his head as he struggled to make sense of his actions. After he had cursed all the Death Eaters, his brothers-in-arms and his actual brother, all of whom were planning to rape the young Muggleborn witch, he'd wrapped her in his robe, carried her out of cell she was being held in, and he had taken her from the mansion. Once he had safely cleared the wards, he clutched Hermione closer still and Apparated into an alley in Muggle London. He knew it was risky being around so many people, but he hoped they would be lost in the crowd. He placed a charm on them both, so that Muggles would not notice them, then he found them a nice hotel to stay at and checked them in. He also Obliviated any Muggles who happened to see him carrying the unconscious Hermione. The last thing he needed was for someone to report him to the Muggle authorities. Once in the room he'd placed Hermione in the bed and pulled the covers over her, then he had warded the room with the strongest spells he could, determined to have warning in case anyone should find them. In the relative safety on the hotel room he let his mind wander, he kept asking himself the same question: Why had he saved the Muggleborn witch, effectively turning his back on everything he had ever known in the process?

From an early age, he had been taught the ways of Purebloods. His parents, firm believers in Pureblood supremacy, had installed their beliefs in him and his brother both, teaching them that Muggleborns, or Mudbloods as they had been referred to, were beneath them and had no place in their world. Desperate for their approval, Rabastan readily accepted all he was told as truth and had never once doubted it. At least he hadn't until tonight. When he had seen Hermione tied naked to the table something inside him had begun to stir and a voice in his head had screamed at him that what was happening was wrong. Then, when he had seen his brother touch her in _that_ way and announce to the room that she was a virgin, Rabastan had seen red. He stopped thinking and, before he knew it, he had pulled his wand out and cursed all the Death Eaters in the room, including his own brother. All the while, the voice in his head was screaming at him that they all deserved to die for touching what was his. He never questioned the voice as it screamed at him that she was his, simply accepting it as the truth. As the last of the Death Eaters had fallen, he knew he had practically signed his own death certificate but at that point, he didn't care. The only thing he cared about was getting the girl out of there before anyone else decided to come and join the party. He had wrapped her in his robe and left. And now, as he stood in the hotel room and watched her sleep, one thought kept repeating in his mind: She was his.

It wasn't until the following morning that Hermione finally began to come around; Rabastan, who had stood guard over her all night, came to her side. She slowly opened her eyes and moaned in pain. Raising a hand, shielded her eyes as they adjusted to the light. As the haze slowly lifted from her mind, she began to recall all that had happened and bit back a sob. She slowly took in her surroundings, still unsure of where she was, but she had to concede that the soft mattress she was lying on was better than the table she had been tied to the last time she'd awoken. She pulled herself into a sitting position, wincing in pain as her body protested at being moved. From her place on the bed, she could see the whole room; looking it over, however, gave her no clue as to her location. As she glanced towards the window, a wave of fear washed over her when she saw Rabastan standing near it.

Rabastan stared at Hermione unsure of what to do or say. What could he say to the woman he had saved from being raped? And, by his own brother, no less. Sorry was not enough, nor was it a word he had a lot of experience saying. As the silence grew more uncomfortable Rabastan decided to break it. He cleared his throat and asked, "Are you okay?"

Hermione nodded her head in answer, not trusting her voice. She was at a loss at what to do as she remembered all that had happened. She knew she had been foolish visiting her parents on her own, especially with what she was planning on doing, but her need to spend time with them, even if it was just for a few hours before she sent them away, without anyone interfering was something she was to selfish to pass up. The infighting that had engulfed the Order of the Phoenix was just an additional reason for her to go alone. A decision she now regretted. She had known Death Eater attacks were on the increase and that she was a prime target due to both her friendship with Harry Potter and her bloodline but she still had gone alone. And she had been captured. That in itself was not surprising. No, what had truly shocked her was that one of the same bastards had saved her and she could not figure out why. As she thought it over she ran her eyes over the Pureblood wizard who, as much as she hated to admit it, she found attractive with his long black hair, dark hypnotic eyes and aristocratic looks. He reminded her slightly of Sirius, something she knew the Marauder would hate to hear. The main difference between Sirius and Rabastan she noticed was the clothes they wore. Where Sirius' style of dress was fine and expensive, Muggle friendly and casual, Rabastan's clothes were definitely wizard's clothes and, unless she was mistaken, they were quite worn. Though why he would wear faded old robes she had no idea, as the Lestranges were one of the most affluent families in the Wizarding world. Hermione realised that she had been staring and quickly averted her eyes and looked around the room again. She paid more attention to the room than she did the first time and spotted a television, a telephone, and a lamp. They were insignificant things, of course, but they gave her a small clue as to where she was and Hermione was shocked to realise that it was somewhere Muggle.

The shock must have shown on her face as Rabastan chuckled. "I am not completely ignorant to Muggles," he told her.

"No, you just hunt them like animals," Hermione replied without thinking.

"I did not bring you here to fight, Hermione."

"Why did you bring me here?" she asked, "And, where are we exactly?"

"We are in a hotel in Muggle London," Rabastan answered her ignoring the first question for the moment. "We are not too far from the Leaky Cauldron."

"Is that wise? Being so close, won't your friends be able to find us easily? Or, is that part of your plan? Is this a sick new game you and your Death Eater friends have thought up?"

Rabastan thought it over carefully before he answered. He knew that whatever he told her would not be believed; she had a thousand reasons not to believe him and not a single one to prompt her to go against her better judgement. He considered lying to her and telling her what she wanted to hear but something stopped him. He was astonished to realize that he wanted her to believe him; more than that, he needed her to believe him and in him. He decided that to get her to believe him he was going to have to be honest with her, even if said honesty would only make her hate and distrust him more.

"Would you ever look for Death Eaters in a busy Muggle city, let alone so close to Diagon Alley?" Rabastan didn't waited for her to answer he just carried on. "They will be looking for us, of course. Having you in their grasp, then losing you again is a huge blow to them and the Dark Lord will be furious. Recapturing you will be one of their top priorities. You have always been high on the Dark Lord's list – you and Potter..."

"If this is some kind of a trick to get Harry it won't work. I will not betray him. You will have to kill me first," Hermione interrupted as she jumped to her feet. Her body was not ready for the sudden movement but she pushed the pain away as she stood up to the much feared Death Eater. She didn't have a wand with her but she was prepared to fight him Muggle style if necessary; it was a fight she knew she couldn't win but she didn't care. Betraying Harry was something she would not even consider.

"This is not a trick to get to Potter," Rabastan told her.

"Am I just supposed to take your word for it?" Hermione scoffed.

"Yes," Rabastan smirked.

Hermione glared at him but said nothing, her small outburst had taken a lot out of her so she lowered herself back down onto the bed, pulling the robe she wore tighter around her before she realised that she was still wearing his robe. Plucking at the fibres, she wondered how many people he had tortured or killed wearing this garment. Maybe if she looked hard enough she would be able to see the blood of his victims staining the black material; she felt her stomach turn at the thought but said nothing.

Rabastan watched her, as she got comfortable on the bed again, "Like I was saying before I was interrupted," he smirked at the glaring witch, "they will be looking for us – both of us. By now, they will have no doubt that it was I who attacked the other Death Eaters and helped you escape. It is no longer only your life in danger. I will have been branded a traitor and traitors are not something the Dark Lord suffers lightly, as I'm sure you have heard. I will be hunted down just like Karkaroff was and killed."

"Why did you do it then? Why betray them? And, why did you save me?" Hermione asked.

"I have been asking myself that very question all night and I can honestly say, I don't know. You are not the first woman I have seen in that position and truthfully – shamefully – until last night I never cared. I believed in everything I was taught, everything the Dark Lord preaches but, for some reason I do not even know myself, I could not bear to see you like that. My only thoughts were, it was not right and you deserved better.

"Believed. You said believed, not believe. Have you changed your beliefs?" she asked.

"I'm not sure what I believe anymore," he replied, "but I think I could sit back and watch the world burn, just as long as you don't burn with it."

"You don't know me. You've betrayed everyone and everything you've ever believed in. And for what? A Mudblood."

"Don't call yourself that," Rabastan growled.

"Why not, it's what I am, isn't it? It is what your friends call me and how your family thinks of me."

"I do not care what they think and I would not call them my friends. Every last one of them would have betrayed me in an instant to garner the Dark Lord's favour."

"Are you any better than them?" Hermione asked, "You betrayed them."

"Maybe not but I did not betray them for a pat on the head."

"No, you didn't." Hermione took a deep and asked the question she both wanted and didn't want to know the answer to: "What do you want from me?"

"Nothing," he answered.

"Nothing," Hermione repeated shocked.

"No, that's not true. What I mean is I don't expected anything from you," Rabastan clarified, remembering his earlier decision to be honest with her he continued. "I don't expect anything from you; I know how you feel about me, what you think of me. I'm not stupid and I know that it is unlikely that you will ever want me the way I want you."

"How you want me?" Hermione asked.

"I won't lie to you Hermione, I want you in every way a man wants a woman. I want you in my bed, underneath me screaming my name as you come undone," he paused, letting his words sink in. As he saw a blush creep across her face and knew she understood his words. "But, I won't force you. I know that is something you do not want and I have no intention of hurting you."

Hermione was unsure how to respond to his words, part of her disgusted that he wanted her in such a way. She knew all about his past and the crimes he had committed – not just the one he had been sentenced to life in Azkaban for, although that conviction had been overturned once Voldemort took control of the Ministry. Hermione knew more about Rabastan and the rest of the Lestranges than she ever wanted to know; her love of research had prompted her to read up on him and his brother, as well as other known Death Eaters. Her reason for doing so was simple: Know your enemies. Through her research, she had learnt many things about the man standing before her, things that horrified her. And yet, another part of her was excited by his words, by the fact that someone could want her so much that he would betray all he had ever known. Hermione's experience with the opposite sex was limited since having Harry Potter as a best friend had scared most of the guys away. Her only experience consisted of a few fumbling kisses with Viktor Krum in her fourth year. The unofficial and, as far as she was concerned, unwanted claim on her by Ronald Weasley didn't help matters either. Her relationship with Ron was a complicated one; for years they had been on the cusp of something but, when nothing happened after they had left Hogwarts, Hermione had moved on and had put the attraction she felt for Ron to rest, freeing herself to live the rest of her life. It was only when he no longer had her or had a chance with her, that Ron decided he wanted a relationship with her. By then, however, it was too late. She recognized the feelings she had for Ron for what they were – an adolescent crush. Their constant fighting, which she'd believed was a sign of deep chemistry and passion, really was nothing more than a collection of childish arguments. The more she thought about it, the more she had realised that she and Ron were not meant to be; they had little in common and, although she did love Ron, it was the same kind of love she felt for Harry – the love one holds for a friend – a fact that Ron refused to accept. He was convinced that they were meant to be together. It was that belief, and the arguments it had caused, that lead her to visiting her parents alone. In Hermione's eyes, she had two wizards who wanted her. One, Ronald, only ever asked her out after she no longer had any interest in him and the other, a Death Eater, who had turned his back on everything he knew simply to save her.

As Hermione looked at Rabastan, she could not deny his attractiveness and she realised with a growing sense of embarrassment that she was attracted to him.

Rabastan sensed how uncomfortable she was becoming and moved to reassure her, "I meant what I said. I will not force you into anything you do not want and I do not wish to harm you in any manner."

She didn't know why but Hermione believed him. As impossible as it was to believe, she was slowly beginning to trust him. She knew she was effectively helpless; she was locked in a hotel room with one of Wizarding Britain's most dangerous Death Eaters, dressed only in his robe, but the fear she felt when she first woke was slowly diminishing.

Hermione and Rabastan spent the next three days in the hotel room. With nothing else to do and no one else to talk to, Hermione found herself talking to the Pureblood wizard and, to her surprise, she found him to be very intelligent. She had always believed he would be someone of below par intelligence but the more time she spent with him the more she realised how wrong she was. When he debated with her on numerous subjects, his arguments were clear and precise; he didn't resort to childish insults and vicious putdowns when she disagreed with him or refused to see things his way. He made her see things in different ways, ways she had never even considered before. In those three days, he told her all about his childhood and what being the youngest Lestrange son really meant.

Hermione had likened the Lestranges to the Blacks and Malfoys because of their shared beliefs in Pureblood supremacy. Without any evidence she had labelled Rabastan as a spoilt, bigoted Pureblood along the same lines as Draco Malfoy. However, instead of the privileged life she believed he'd had growing up, she learnt that Rabastan had grown up in a household where he was overlooked for no other reason than because he was the second born.

His whole life Rabastan had come second to Rodolphus; being born second had signalled his role in life. Rodolphus, as the eldest, held all the power. In his role as heir to the Lestrange family, he was always presented in the best light. He wore the finest robes that money could buy, whereas Rabastan was always dressed in Rodolphus' castoffs; everything he owned was second hand – hand me downs from his older brother. Rodolphus' role as heir to the family extended beyond looking and dressing good; he was always made to look the greatest of them. Rabastan was forbidden from ever outshining his brother in anyway. He was forced to conceal his intelligences; his OWL and NEWT scores could not be higher than Rodolphus'. In a move to strengthen the house of Lestrange, his parents had brokered a betrothal contract with the House of Black for Rodolphus and the eldest of the Black daughters, Bellatrix. That was one instance where Rabastan was glad to be overlooked.

As Hermione listened to Rabastan tell of his childhood, she found herself wondering about the stupidity of the Wizarding world. She could not understand why anyone would hold back their child simply because he or she was not the oldest. As an only child, she didn't know if all families were like that, whether every parent favoured the eldest child at the expense of the other children. Though, the more she thought about it the more she realised that it was a common occurrence and not just in the Wizarding world. After she had listened to Rabastan tell her all about his childhood, she told him about her own. She had just started talking without even thinking about it but she felt a strange sense of acceptance with him, one she couldn't explain. Mere days ago he had been the enemy, yet as she sat on that hotel room bed she found herself telling things she had never told anyone else, not even her best friends.

She told him all about growing up in the Muggle world, how her intelligence had ostracised her from the other children. She told him how she was bullied by the other children. She had had a lonely childhood, her parents' desire to give her the best that they could often meant that she was left to her own devices as they both worked late into the evenings, leaving Hermione with only her books for company. For years books were her only friends – they never made fun of, betrayed, or ignored her. She told him how excited she was when she got her Hogwarts letter, how she thought that she had finally found her place, a place where she belonged and would be accepted. Instead, she was dismissed due to her blood and her need to prove herself in the Wizarding world had left her labelled an insufferable know-it-all bookworm. Many called her the brightest witch of her age but she was still considered a second-class citizen. It didn't matter what she did or how smart she was; to some people she would always be a Mudblood.

Hermione found herself telling him all about the problems she was having with Ron and, by extension, his mother, Molly. Ron's refusal to accept that she didn't want to be with him, along with Molly's firm belief that the two were meant to be, had resulted in Hermione having an uncomfortable few months after leaving Hogwarts. She was uncomfortable to the point where she had refused to stay at the Burrow, choosing to move into Grimmauld Place with Harry and Sirius instead she, something Molly was not happy about. As far as the Weasley matriarch was concerned Ron and Hermione were fated to be together, as were Harry and Ginny, and she wouldn't accept anything less. It did not matter that Hermione no longer had any interest in Ron, or that Harry had been dating Luna since his sixth year. Molly was determined to have her happy little family. Hermione explained to Rabastan that that was something she didn't want. She didn't want to be Mrs Weasley. She wanted a life of her own and a career, she didn't just want to be a housewife and mother to Merlin knows how many redheaded children. And, although she wanted a family of her own she wanted it in her own time and not right then. Ron and Molly had both been trying to pressure her into a relationship; they kept telling her with the war raging on, it was a time to grab hold of what you wanted with both hands and not let go, as you never knew if you would survive until tomorrow. Hermione had steadfastly refused, though. She no longer wanted Ron, so she was not going to grab hold of him. But, even if by some unexplainable reason, she did, she wouldn't rush into anything because while it was true that they all could die tomorrow, they could also survive for another hundred years and then she would be stuck with a useless lump of a husband. That description didn't go over well with either Ron or Molly. Hermione didn't want much from life, just for her friends and family to be safe and to be able to live her life how she saw fit, not to the desire of others.

In those three days Hermione felt a bond being formed between her and Rabastan, one she was not sure could be broken, not that was she sure she even wanted to break it. No subject was off limits. The more they debated, the more Hermione felt herself becoming enamoured with the Pureblood wizard.

It was on the fourth day that they were discovered. For three days and nights Hermione had been stuck inside the hotel room. Rabastan had provided her with food and anything else she needed, Transfiguring a pillowcase into shirt, allowing her to have some sense of cover, although she still wore his robe. Rabastan had considered trying to get them both out of the country, but he had eventually dismissed the idea knowing that Hermione would never desert her friends. She wanted to stay and fight and so, by default, he decided to stay and fight as well. His only reason for doing so was her; he was determined to do everything in his power to make sure she survived the war, even if that meant fighting his old friends and putting up with some people he would have happily tortured before.

It was in the early hours of the fourth day when Rabastan felt the breaches in the wards he had placed on the room. He quickly shook Hermione awake and signalled for her to be quiet. A set of Anti-Apparition wards had been placed on the room preventing Rabastan Apparating himself and Hermione out of the room. Rabastan pushed Hermione behind him and shielded her as much as he could with his body; he aimed his wand at the door and waited.

No sounds could be heard coming from the hallways, which surprised Rabastan. By now Death Eaters would have been torturing and killing everyone within in the hotel and their screams would have been echoing off the walls and through the halls.

Rabastan tightened his hold on his wand as he saw the hotel room door thrown open. He flung a hex at the first person who entered the room, not caring who it was. He saw the person go down and fired another hex towards the door. Rabastan was firing blind; he had no idea how many there were or what skills they possessed but he knew he was outnumbered and caged in. Still he cast hex after hex towards the door, each one becoming more vicious.

Hermione crouched down behind Rabastan and watched the fight. Part of her was screaming for her to get up and fight but the smarter part of her told her to stay down. She knew that, without a wand, she was useless in a Wizarding battle – she wouldn't use the word duel because what she was witnessing could never be described as a duel. It was a fight, plain and simple.

Hermione saw Rabastan block a stunner and throw a hex back of his own. She wondered when the Death Eaters started using stunners. From her position Hermione saw two dark haired wizards throw curses at Rabastan, he blocked the first one, but the second one hit him. He cried out in pain as the bone-breaking curse connected with his arm. Hermione saw the wizard who had sent it aim his wand at Rabastan again. Recognizing him, she jumped to her feet and cried out, "Sirius, no!"

The sound of Hermione's voice stopped Sirius from sending his second curse at the injured wizard. He ran his eyes over the young witch checking her for any sign of injury, "Are you okay Hermione?" he asked.

"I'm fine, Sirius. He didn't hurt me," she answered.

"I'm fine too, Black, in case you were wondering. I just seem to have a broken arm," Rabastan said.

"You're lucky that's all you've got, you Death Eater scum," Ron said as he came busting through the door and he made his way over to Hermione.

"You wound me, Mr. Weasley. Insulting a man while he's down is such a Slytherin thing to do."

"Rabastan, stop it," Hermione told him.

"As you wish, my dear," he replied smirking at Ron, trying to rattle the red head.

"Hermione, are you sure you're okay?" Sirius asked looking her over carefully, unsure of what to make of the familiarity between her and Rabastan.

"Yeah, Hermione, you should see a healer. We can take you to St Mungo's," Ron added.

"I'm fine, Ron; I don't need to go to St Mungo's. I'm sure Madam Pomfrey will be waiting at headquarters to check me over, in any case," Hermione said. "She should look at Rabastan's arm, too; it will need to be properly healed."

"You can't be serious."

"Sirius, don't," Hermione said as she pointed a finger at him stopping him from answering with his usual joke. Sirius winked at her and bit his lip playfully. "And yes, Ron, I was being serious."

"But he's a Death Eater," Ron argued.

"That doesn't change the fact that he needs medical attention," Hermione replied. "What would you suggest we do then?"

"Turn him over to the Ministry," Ron answered. "They can fix his arm then send him back to Azkaban where he belongs."

"Really, Ronald. Voldemort is in control of the Ministry. Do you believe for one second that he would leave Rabastan to rot in Azkaban?" Hermione asked.

"He kidnapped you Hermione. He belongs in Azkaban."

"He didn't kidnap me. Rodolphus was the one who attacked me. Rabastan actually saved me," Hermione explained shocking them. "He attacked the other Death Eaters. He never touched me and he hasn't harmed me in any way. For the last few days, he has been taking care of me. If you turn him over to the Ministry, Voldemort will torture him before killing him"

"Maybe that's what he deserves," Ron mumbled.

"Maybe but are you the one to decide that? Are any of us?" Hermione asked, "If we turn him over to the Ministry knowing full well he will be killed, then we are no better than them."

"Whatever we decide to do, here is not the place to decide it," Kingsley Shacklebolt said, speaking for the first time, "we will take him with us to headquarters, have Poppy fix his arm and we can talk with Dumbledore about it."

"Headquarters is under the Fidelius Charm. We can't just take him there," Ron argued.

"I am aware of that, Mr. Weasley," Kingsley said. "I will get in touch with the secret keeper. I think we will be having an Order meeting tonight." He took a deep breath and continued, "Sirius, please escort Mr. Lestrange. I will follow behind. Hermione, are you okay to travel by yourself?"

"I don't have my wand, Kingsley," she answered, "and I'm not really dressed for Muggle transportation."

"I will take you by Side-Along."

"Thank you."

"Tonks and Remus are taking care of the Muggles and will meet us back at headquarters," he informed them, "Sirius, you and Mr. Lestrange first."

Hermione watched as Rabastan and Sirius disappeared with a pop, then took Kingsley's right arm and smiled at him. Seeing that she was ready, Kingsley Apparated both of them out of the hotel. They landed on the stoop of Grimmauld Place and Kingsley opened the door for Hermione, allowing her to enter first. She was barely through the front door before she was encased in a bone-crushing hug, courtesy of Molly Weasley.

"Hermione dear, are you okay?" she asked, "Did that awful man hurt you? He deserves to be locked up in Azkaban."

"Not according to Hermione," Ron told his mother as he came through the front door.

Hermione glared at Ron, "I am fine, Mrs. Weasley. Rabastan didn't hurt me in the slightest. In fact it was he who saved me but I am sure we will be discussing all this at the Order Meeting."

"Are you sure you're up to attending an Order meeting dear?" Molly asked, "I'm sure Albus wouldn't mind if you miss it, especially after everything that's happened."

"I'm sure, Mrs. Weasley. I believe I will be needed at the meeting to inform everyone what happened to me," Hermione told her. "Now if you will excuse me I would like to go and get dressed and maybe get something to eat."

"Of course, dear. I will fix you something to eat," Molly told her before heading towards the kitchen.

Hermione headed up the stairs to her room where she planned to take a shower and get dressed after four days of wearing nothing but a Transfigured pillowcase and a Death Eater's robe she was looking forward to wearing her own clothes again.

*~*~*

It was a tense Order of the Phoenix meeting that night; to say that the members were unhappy to have Rabastan in the house was an understatement. After Madam Pomfrey had mended his broken arm, he had been subjected to an intense interrogation, though he had refused to answer any question concerning Hermione and what had happened to her without her present, stating that it was up to her to decide if she wanted them to know what had happened.

After talking to both Hermione and Rabastan, Dumbledore had decided that the best course of action would be to allow Rabastan to attend that night's Order meeting. He had let all the members know and had advised some of the members to stay away; until he was sure of Rabastan's intentions, he was not going to allow him full knowledge of the Order and its members, especially his Death Eater spy, Severus Snape. As long as Voldemort believed Snape was loyal to him, he had excellent inside information; Rabastan's presence could jeopardise the spy. Alternately, Dumbledore wondered if Death Eater was playing the role of spy in the Order's midst for Voldemort.

With only the well-known members of the Order present, Dumbledore called the meeting to order and he, like everyone else, wondered what they were about to witness.

Rabastan sat at the table in the kitchen of Grimmauld Place and surveyed the other occupants of the room. He could sense their unease, fear, and hatred; they feared that his presence was just a ploy, a plan the Dark Lord had concocted to infiltrate the Order. Rabastan scoffed at the idea; the Dark Lord was many things but stupid was not one of them. He would never send someone like Rabastan as a spy for the simple reason that no one would believe it. His crimes were well known throughout the Wizarding world and no one in their right mind would implicitly believe that he would betray his master and switch sides, something he himself was having trouble believing. Then there was the underlying fear that he was telling the truth, that he really had changed sides because of Hermione Granger. They feared what it would mean for her. None of them knew the promise he had made to her in that hotel room, the promise that he would not harm her in anyway, and he had no intention of telling them. He couldn't care less about what the others thought of him. His only concern was her. He would play by their rules up until the point where Hermione was at risk, and then he would follow his own. Their hatred of him was no surprise; he knew quite a lot of them had been friends with the Longbottoms and that some of the others had attended Hogwarts with their son. He knew he would not be winning any popularity contests and that was fine by him. The only person whose opinion Rabastan cared about was sitting next to him. He looked at the young Muggleborn witch at his side; his need for her shocked even him. He had never felt what he felt for her before. He would not call the feeling love, as he had no idea what that emotion felt like.

Harry had seen Rabastan watching Hermione and he took the chance to look the man over. He, like everyone else, had heard the stories of what the Lestranges had done in the first war and, like the rest, he was disgusted. He considered Neville a good friend and to sit across from one of the people responsible for the young man's heartache left him with a foul taste in his mouth. His first thought had been to turn him over the Ministry and let them, or more accurately, let Voldemort deal with him. All that stopped him from voicing that opinion were Hermione's pleas not to.

Harry had been beside himself when he realised that Hermione was missing and, although he'd tried not to, he had imagined the worse. He had pictured her lying on the floor, her poor body bleeding and broken as life slowly faded from her eyes. Even worse were the dreams about the horrors he was sure they were inflicting on her. One night he had woken up with the taste of bile in his mouth and Hermione's screams ringing in his ears as she cried out for him while they raped and tortured her. When he heard that they'd located her, Harry had been the first one in line to go and get her but some of the others had objected to him being part of the rescue party. They had argued that it was likely a trap just to lure Harry out. Since it was common knowledge that he and Hermione were close, it was not beyond the realms of possibility that You-Know-Who was using Hermione simply as bait. After much fighting, Harry had finally, grudgingly agreed not to accompany them, the decision made easier when Sirius had informed everyone that he was going on the mission and anyone who objected to that could take said objection and stick it up Buckbeak's arse.

Harry remembered the shock he felt when Sirius had returned to Grimmauld Place with Rabastan Lestrange. His first thought had been that this was one of the men who hurt Hermione, his sister in all but blood, and he'd wanted to curse him – he could still feel the itch, the longing to pick up his wand and repay his friend's pain. The only thing that stopped him was Sirius' quick explanation that Hermione was safe, Kingsley was bringing her home and she had claimed that Lestrange had actually helped her. Harry hadn't believed his godfather at first, thinking that Sirius must have been mistaken or that Hermione was the victim of some kind of a spell that had forced her to defend him. After she'd returned, and had a chance to shower, dress and eat, Harry had spoken with her and she told Harry everything that had happened, all that she'd been through and how Rabastan had saved her.

As he'd listened to her talk, Harry came to realise that his friend had developed a crush on her dark knight and he hoped she knew what she was doing. Any relationship she might want or have with Rabastan would not be received well; while he could already hear Molly screaming about the filthy Death Eater taking advantage of Hermione, Harry would support Hermione in anything she did, like she always supported him. He knew that Molly's dream of one big happy family was just that – a dream. He loved Luna and had no interest in Ginny and Harry knew that if Ron was honest with himself he would realise that he didn't really love Hermione, at least not in the way he claimed he did; it was just his pride and mother making him think he did.

Watching Rabastan look at Hermione, he was at a loss about what to think. A large part wanted to keep Rabastan far away from Hermione as possible; he didn't trust the man, and he doubted that he ever would, but he trusted her. Then there was the fact that, as much as he would like to, Harry knew he couldn't deny that Rabastan had saved her and, looking at him, he could see that the older man was enamoured with her. He didn't know where the attraction would take the unlikely pair but, for Hermione's sake, Harry decided to give Rabastan the benefit of the doubt and hear him out.

Rabastan could feel the weight of a scrutinizing gaze upon him and looked up to meet the green eyes of the Boy-Who-Lived; he raised an eyebrow as they engaged in a staring contest. After spending fourteen years locked up in Azkaban, having the most evilly psychotic witch of her age for a sister-in-law, and having been tortured by the Dark Lord himself, the Death Eater wasn't going to let some eighteen year-old boy intimate him, even if said boy was the person who had defeated the Dark Lord when he was only an infant.

Rabastan sized Harry up. Although, he'd heard the Malfoy brat rage about Harry "bloody" Potter on more than one occasion and, despite the fact that they'd fought in numerous battles on opposing sides, they had never engaged each other in combat, so this was Rabastan's first good look at him. He was probably one of the few people in the Wizarding world who hadn't even seen a picture of the wonder child. Of course, Azkaban wasn't the best place to catch up on gossip and keep on top of the news of the day, then after his escape he had been too busy fighting the Order and being tortured by the Dark Lord to read the papers. As Rabastan stared at Harry, he had trouble understanding why the Dark Lord feared – well, feared as much he would allow himself to – the boy, not to mention why the rest of the Wizarding world idolized him. He was just a kid. Rabastan hoped that looks were deceiving and that Harry was more than just a teenaged boy because, whether it was his choice or not, Rabastan, like so many others, was placing his life in Harry's hands. There would be no way he could return to the Dark Lord and the Death Eaters; even if he wanted too, he would have be tortured and killed as a traitor. But it was not his life he was concerned about; he needed Potter to win, so Hermione could live.

Their staring contest was broken up by Dumbledore calling the meeting to order. He explained everything that had happened and why Rabastan was there, he repeated what Hermione had told him, not wanting her to have to go through the trauma of reliving her ordeal again, overlooking the fact that she was sitting in the kitchen with the rest of them. Murmurs and gasps of shock broke out when Dumbledore informed them about what Rodolphus had done, and was planning on doing to, Hermione.

Rabastan heard Sirius mutter, "I'll kill the bastard." However, no one else did as it was drowned out by Molly's cry of, "Oh that poor girl!"

Everyone was shocked when Hermione took over the tale as she explained how Rabastan had saved her. Rabastan couldn't do anything but smirk at the looks of shock on their faces as Hermione told them everything he had done for her. She wrapped up the tale by explaining their time at the hotel and how he had been a perfect gentleman and never laid a finger on her.

Rabastan was happy that she didn't know Legilimency as his thoughts regarding her were anything but gentlemanly. By the time she had finished telling the story of her rescue, most of her listeners had looks of shock on their faces. Many of them had already heard Hermione state that Rabastan had saved her but none of them had actually believed it, except for Harry. Her fellow Order members had all assumed that she was under his control somehow and he was forcing her to say that he'd treated her well. However, considering that Madam Pomfrey had examined Hermione and she'd then been questioned by Dumbledore, it was all too apparent the girl was still in control of her faculties.

"You really attacked your comrades and saved Hermione?" Remus asked, having recovering first.

"I did," Rabastan replied.

"He probably used Unforgivables on them," Ron muttered.

"Would it matter if I did?" Rabastan queried. "What they were planning to do to Hermione would have been far worse. And I would think that if anyone deserved to be hit with Unforgivable curses it would be them."

"You got that right," Sirius agreed.

"Unforgivables are not acceptable in any circumstances," Molly said.

"What would you have had me do, Mrs. Weasley? Ask them nicely not to rape Hermione," Rabastan asked, "I did what I had to do to save her. For that I am not sorry and I will not apologise."

"Give those bastards a taste of their own medicine," Sirius added.

"But, if you start using Unforgivables then you are no better than them," Molly argued.

"You forget, Mrs. Weasley, that I am one of them. Or at least I was," Rabastan countered, "I do not regret what I did. It came down between Hermione and them, and I chose Hermione."

"I think we all know what you are," Ron said snidely.

"And, I believe that is the real problem. The issue here is not how Hermione was saved or the curses used, but who it was using them. You can't handle the fact that it wasn't you or one of your own who rescued her. Tell me, how long did it take before you realised she was missing?"

"I don't see what that has got to do with anything," Ron replied.

"Just answer the question."

When it became obvious that Ron was not going to answer, Molly answered instead, "We noticed right away that she hadn't returned."

"So, you started to look for her right away?"

"No we did not," Dumbledore replied. "We did notice that Miss Granger had not returned, but we believed that with the emotion of dealing with her parents that she simply needed a bit of time on her own."

"Let me see if I understand this correctly. First, you sent a Muggleborn witch out alone, and not just any Muggleborn but Hermione Granger, well-known best friend of Harry Potter, the one Lord Voldemort would most love to get his hands on. Now, you knew what she was planning on doing and how upsetting it was going to be for her, yet you still allowed her to go on her own. Now, I understand that Hermione wished to see her parents on her own and did not wish to be accompanied by some of you," Rabastan paused and glanced significantly at Ron, "but, surely it wouldn't have been too much trouble for one of the other members to join her. Or did you not think of that? Never mind all that, however. So, when she failed to return home, you lot did nothing. You did nothing to try locating her. So while she was tied naked to a table and fearing imminent rape, you were all here playing chess and eating. It is a good thing she did not have to wait for you lot to rescue her, otherwise she would most likely still be a prisoner of the Dark Lord and wishing for death."

The harsh picture Rabastan had painted with his words silenced them all. They could not deny what they had done, or rather what they had not done. The only people who had wanted to search for Hermione right away had been Harry and Sirius, the others had foolishly believed that she had just need time to herself.

"You can condemn me for my actions if you like, but can any of you truthfully say you would have acted differently if you had walked into that room and seen your friend tied naked to that table surrounded by different men who were laughing and joking about what they were going to do to her? So, yes I used the Cruciatus Curse on more than one of them, including my own kin. In my mind, they still got off lightly."

"I don't have a problem with what you did to them," Sirius said.

"Sirius Black, how can you say that?" Molly screeched. "Unforgivables are forbidden for a reason. There is no justification for ever using them!"

"So, you're saying he should have let them rape me, Mrs. Weasley," Hermione asked.

"Of course not dear," Molly answered quickly. "But there are others curses he could have used."

"Maybe I should have used Sectumsempra instead." Rabastan smirked, "That's not classed as an Unforgivable."

"You should have used a stunner," Molly informed him.

"There were five of them. By time I would have hit some of them with a stunner, one of the others would have revived the others. Given the odds and the seriousness of the situation, stunners would not have worked," Rabastan countered.

"He's right Molly," Kingsley said. "I don't like it either but he was outnumbered and using stunners would not have been an effective measure. The main thing is that Hermione is safe. Arguing over the measures taken to insure her safety is counterproductive."

"I have to agree with Kingsley. We cannot change what has happened and Miss Granger is now with us, and that is what is important. But I do have a question for you, Mr. Lestrange," Dumbledore said as he looked at Rabastan. "It is clear to us all that you have no problem using Unforgivables, so I must ask, do you still intend to use them?"

"That depends," Rabastan smirked, "on what you mean. If you are asking if I intend to use them randomly on strangers in the streets, then no I do not. I do not believe Hermione would approve of it," he paused and smiled at her before continuing. "However, if you are asking me whether I intend to use them to keep her safe, then the answer is yes I will."

"She doesn't need you to protect her," Ron spat.

"Maybe not; I am sure that Hermione is more than capable of protecting herself. But, it never hurts to have someone else watching over you, just in case you are in need of help," Rabastan replied.

"And, you think you're the person to watch over her?" Harry spoke for the first time during the meeting.

"It is why I am here," Rabastan answered truthfully. "Hermione's wellbeing is all I care about, I place her life above my own."

"Do you expect us to believe that?" Ron snapped, growing angrier by the minute. "The whole thing is probably a set up. You just wanted to get close to the Order and Hermione was the easiest target for you."

"Whether you believe me or not is of little importance to me. My only concern is Hermione."

"Look, all this fighting is getting us nowhere," Remus said. "As much as pains us to admit it, Lestrange did save Hermione, for whatever reason."

"He just wants to get into her knickers," Ron muttered.

"I'm not the only person in the rooms who wants to," Rabastan smirked at the fuming red head.

"Rabastan, Ronald, that is enough," Hermione admonished. "I am not a prize for you two to fight over, and those types of comment are both insulting to me, not to mention inappropriate."

"My apologies, Hermione, I did not mean to insult you," Rabastan told her, holding her gaze.

"Maybe it would be best if we focused on the situation at hand," Remus suggested.

"A wise suggestion Remus," Dumbledore said taking charge of the meeting again. "What is done is done; it is what we do now that is important. We have all heard what happened to Miss Granger, and Mr. Lestrange's role in her rescue. Given his actions, I think it is safe to say he has been branded a traitor and will now be classified as an enemy of Lord Voldemort. We cannot deny the fact that he did save Miss Granger, but the question on whether or not we can trust him has yet to be answered. The questions we have to ask ourselves are: Can we trust him? And, can he be an asset to us in our fight against Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters?"

The second Dumbledore had finished speaking pandemonium broke out in the kitchen as they all tried to talk over each other. Rabastan sat back and watched as they argued over him, thinking that it was a good thing he wasn't easily offended. They couldn't all agree, of course. Some thought he was both untrustworthy and had nothing to offer while others thought he was untrustworthy but had a lot to offer. The only person who both believed him and believed he had something to offer was Hermione. She was the only one willing to take a risk and give Rabastan a chance. Finally fed up with them all repeating the same thing over and over, Hermione stood up and captured Dumbledore's attention.

"I believe Miss Granger has something to say," he said his eyes twinkling.

"Thank you Professor," she said falling back on his old title. She took a deep breath before she began to speak, "I know we all have reasons not to trust Rabastan. His past actions are certainly stacked against his favour. Now, I am not going to make excuses for things she has done long ago or recently and I am not going to say to forget the past. However I cannot ignore what he has done for me by saving me. At anytime he could have changed his mind and left me there, walked away and you would still sit here cursing him. Does he deserve a second chance? Probably not but it is usually the ones that don't deserve them that need them the most."

"An excellent point, Miss Granger," Dumbledore said.

"We can't trust him," Ron shouted losing his temper, "and what could he possibly offers us?"

"Are you so blinded by your fear, hatred and jealousy that you honestly can't see all that Rabastan can offer us? He was a member of Voldemort's inner circle up until four days ago when he saved me and he, unlike Professor Snape, was never even suspected as being a traitor or a spy. Rabastan knows more about Voldemort's operations than anyone else here. Are you really going to let your fear and hatred stop you from learning all that you need to know?"

Silence descended over the room. As the truth of Hermione words soaked in there was no denying that Rabastan knew more about Voldemort's operation then any of them and that Dumbledore was not going to pass up the chance to gather much-needed intelligence. After more debating, it was agreed that they would not turn Rabastan over to the Ministry of Magic and that he could stay at Grimmauld Place. Measures were taken to ensure both the safety of the Order of the Phoenix and its members, including having Rabastan take a Wizarding oath to that affect. Finally, until they knew for certain that they could trust him he wasn't allowed to go on missions. He was, in effect, a prisoner of Grimmauld Place.

Rabastan accepted the conditions placed upon him, believing them a small price to pay to remain close to Hermione. Not all of the Order members were happy about the decision to allow him to stay in the house but, with Dumbledore, Sirius and Harry all in agreement, their objections fell on deaf ears.

*~*~*

It was five months before Rabastan was trusted enough to go on a mission and he had spent that time as a prisoner of Grimmauld Place, much like Sirius had during Hermione's fifth year. During those five months, Rabastan and Hermione grew closer, much to the chagrin of some. Molly could often be heard complaining about the relationship developing between the two; her dreams of Ron and Hermione marrying were crumbling before her eyes. Even Ron had seen the bond between the two and began dating Susan Bones, moving on. In those five months, Rabastan had informed the Order all he knew about the Death Eaters, their sympathisers and the members he knew who didn't carry the Dark Mark. With the information he had provided, the Order had managed to put a dent in Voldemort's army.

It was a cold December night when Rabastan was finally allowed out of Grimmauld Place. There was a Death Eater attack in a Wizarding town on the border of Wales and the Order was needed. Dumbledore had called Rabastan up for the mission, since he needed all able bodied fighters, and had teamed him with Hermione, who was the only person who truly trusted him, along with Kingsley for added insurance.

By time they had reached the small town, the Death Eaters were in full attack mode. They were throwing Unforgivables around like confetti and killing indiscriminately; the battle was brief but intense as the Order and Death Eaters exchanged curses. Rabastan engaged his former allies in battle for the first time since he had betrayed them and he didn't hold anything back; throwing curse after curse their way, he stopped just short at using Unforgivables, though he did use many borderline Dark curses. The Death Eaters quickly realised they were outmatched and Disapparated, leaving the Order to clean up the mess. The damage was severe. The sounds of screaming and crying could be heard as the bodies of townspeople, which littered the streets outside of burning houses, were identified and wept over. The Order had not gone casualty-free; some members lay injured, the others doing there best with quick field healing before the fallen could be taken back to headquarters for better care. It was a side of the battle Rabastan had never seen before. With the battle finished, Rabastan was ordered to return to Grimmauld Place and Hermione was asked to go with him.

Things continued like that for a few more months. Rabastan was never trusted to go on a mission, but was called on when the Death Eaters attacked and the Order needed his skills. His relationship with Hermione grew stronger as the months went by, the two of them growing even closer. With nothing else to do, Rabastan began training Hermione in the finer points of duelling. Under his guidance she improved her skills, while the two of them continued to debate various topics during rare moments of downtime, eventually finding found acceptance with each other.

It was in February when they shared their first kiss. It was a normal day and nothing exciting was happening while Rabastan and Hermione spent the day in the Black family library. Hermione, as per usual, was reading, while Rabastan sat with her. Her love of books had only made her more attractive to Rabastan; he was accustomed to the company of Pureblood witches who held no higher purpose than to look pretty, stay silent and produce the required offspring. Of all such women he'd known, Bellatrix Black was the sole exception. Seeing Hermione use her intellect was a huge turn on for him and he loved to watch her read under the pretence of reading himself.

It was on one of those days that he finally acted on the attraction he held for her. He never hid his desire for her and many times she had seen the effect her being in her presence had on his body. But he had never made a move on her because they – no, he was under constant watch. But on that particular day the sight of Hermione, engrossed in her latest book, her tongue peaking out between her teeth as her fingers stroked the paper of the page she was reading, was just too much for him to handle and he could no longer stand not to touch her. He stood up quickly from his chair near the fire and walked across the room; sitting down next to Hermione, he pulled the book from her hands and dropped it to the floor before he turned to face a smiling Hermione.

"Something you want Rabastan?" she asked, biting her lip coyly.

Rabastan smirked at her but said nothing, instead slowly leaning in until his forehead rested against hers. He raised his hand and cupped her face and then he ran his thumb over her plump, inviting lips before he brushed his own softly against hers in a gentle caress, using his tongue to tease her into accepting him more fully. She parted her lips and shifted slightly, deepening the kiss. Rabastan took advantage of her parted lips and slipped his tongue into her mouth, he explored the caverns of her mouth before playfully engaging her tongue in a duel. Hermione tangled her hands in Rabastan's hair and let him control the kiss. When their mutual need for oxygen became an issue, Rabastan broke the caress and placed a few butterfly kisses on her swollen lips before resting his forehead against hers once more.

"Merlin, witch, what are you doing to me?" he asked breathing deeply.

*~*~*

After their first kiss, Rabastan and Hermione were inseparable and soon everyone knew about, and had to voice their objections against, the change in their relationship. Not that it did the Order any good, since Hermione refused to listen. It was obvious to anyone who looked at her that she was happy and, as much as they hated it, it they could all see that Rabastan loved her.

Happiness was in short supply with the war raging worse than ever and Death Eater attacks becoming an almost daily occurrence. So, whenever the chance at a moment of happiness came along, people grabbed it with both hands. So when Harry announced that he and Luna were getting married and that they didn't want to wait too long, Sirius had decided that his godson, and the young man's fiancée, deserved nothing but the best. During the course of the next four months the Marauder had set about organising the wedding of the year, although how exactly Sirius had managed to organise the wedding in four months no one knew. Security had been an important issue and false reports were released concerning wedding arrangements and dates, then the decoys were set in place. The whole of the Order of the Phoenix and Dumbledore's Army had been invited. No one was going to get a chance to spoil Harry and Luna's big day.

It was a crisp December morning when Harry stood in the grove, where he'd spent many summer days playing Quidditch with the Weasleys, and waited for his bride. Only Luna would want to get married outside in the dead of winter. Harry couldn't take his eyes off her as she made her way down the aisle, her light blue gown catching the eyes of a few people. Molly could be heard muttering about an insult to tradition but Harry paid her no attention. He only had eyes for Luna. The ceremony went without a hitch, with Harry and Luna reciting vows they had written themselves, exchanging rings and sealing the beginning of their lives as man and wife with a kiss that left more than one person teary-eyed. It was as Harry and Luna were sharing their first dance as man and wife that a huge explosion had rocked the grounds of the Lovegood home, bringing the protective wards around the property crashing down.

The Order and the DA jumped into action as Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters surrounded the property. No witty banter or clever insults were exchanged – only curses – as Dumbledore led the Light side's forces into battle, engaging Voldemort in a duel that could have been called beautiful if it wasn't so deadly.

Wizards and witches duelled on the grounds on the Lovegood property while members of the DA tried to shield the younger children from the cross-fire of the fiercely raging battle. In the midst of the pandemonium, Harry battled his old enemy Draco Malfoy who had made some offensive comments about his bride. All the while, Luna was duelling Pansy Parkinson.

Rabastan had just defeated Yaxley when he heard Hermione cry out in pain. Spinning around, he desperately searched for her. His heart seized in his chest when he saw her lying on the cold ground convulsing in pain as the Cruciatus Curse ripped through her body. Anger swept over him when he saw who stood over her, laughing as she cried out in pain.

He ran over to them as fast as he could, his whipping a hex at the wizard torturing Hermione. Satisfaction washed over him when the slicing hex hit its mark, cutting deep into the wizard's arm, making the masked man clutch at the limb and yell from the pain.

The Death Eater took his eyes off of Hermione and spun to face the wizard who had cast the spell, a look of shock entering his eyes as he found himself staring at his younger brother's wandpoint. While he was not surprised to see the younger Lestrange there (his brother's betrayal of his kin, cause and leader was well known), Rodolphus was surprised that Rabastan would be stupid enough to face him in battle. He knew, according to the rules of the Lestrange House that, as head of the head of the family, Rabastan's life was in his hands. The Dark Lord had ordered Rodolphus to trim the family tree, meaning that Rodolphus had been instructed to kill his brother.

"Have you lowered yourself so much, brother, that you now defend a Mudblood?" Rodolphus snarled.

"Don't call her that," Rabastan growled.

Rodolphus stared at his brother. "You love her," he stated, disgust etched plainly over his features. "You betrayed us for this filth?!" He pointed to the witch lying on the ground. "Her kind are good for only one thing. Tell me, brother, have you tasted her yet, sampled all that she has to offer?"

Rabastan glared at Rodolphus but said nothing. He was trying to keep his temper in check, knowing his older brother was trying to goad him into lashing out.

"I remember how tight she was. When I buried my fingers in her cunt, the little whimpers she made were music to my ears," Rodolphus taunted. "Have you fucked her yet? I bet her cunt feels like a vice around your cock."

Rabastan's anger grew hotter by the second as he listened to his brother's crude words. All the while, his eyes burned with hatred.

Rodolphus gave a cruel laugh as he looked at his only brother. "No? Won't she spread her legs for you like a good whore? Do you need your big brother to show you how it's done? Is that it, Rabastan? I bet the cheap whore would like my cock in her; I'd have her begging for more or, at least, she would beg for something. Don't worry, though; I'll let you watch as I fuck her."

Rabastan had heard enough and fired a barrage of curses at his laughing brother, anger fuelling his attack. He knew that Rodolphus was being truthful, in addition to trying to antagonise him; he knew that the other man had every intention of following through with the crude acts he described and Rabastan refused to let Hermione be treated like that.

Rodolphus was shocked at the ferocity of the attack, at first. But, all too quickly he recovered, returning the curses in equal measure and refusing to yield to his brother.

Streaks of purple, red, and green danced in the air as Rabastan and Rodolphus duelled. Curse after curse was thrown, with neither wizard willing to back down. Bodies fell around them but neither paid any attention – their sole focus was on one another. Time passed and it was clear the brothers were well-matched, fierce opponents. Years of resentment and that unfamiliar protectiveness fuelled Rabastan's every hex and countercurse. Moving swiftly, he dodged one of the vicious curses sent at him but missed the slicing hex aimed at his face.

Blood poured down Rabastan's cheek and dripped onto his white shirt, but Rabastan ignored it. The pain was reminder of what was to come if he lost. He fired off the Cruciatus Curse at Rodolphus knowing his brother would duck out of the way. When the other man did, in fact, dodge the Unforgivable, he fired another curse at him, hitting him square in the chest.

Rodolphus cried out in pain as the curse took hold; his body was cooling rapidly as his blood began to freeze in his veins. His circulation was slowly being cut off and his skin took on a blue hue as the breath was stolen from his body. Crystals of frost covered Rodolphus body as his heart stopped beating.

Rabastan stared at his dead brother and felt no guilt for what he had just done. He felt a small hand on his shoulder and he turned into the embrace of his love, wrapping his arms around her and just holding her. As much as he wanted to lose himself in her arms, he knew that now was not the time. They were in the middle of a battle, a battle that he knew she would not run away from. Disentangling himself from her embrace, he placed a tender kiss on her forehead and prepared to rejoin the battle. He cursed anyone foolish enough to try to harm Hermione. He had just killed his own flesh and blood; he would show no mercy to anyone else.

No one could say for sure how long the battle lasted; to some it seemed to last hours and to others mere minutes. There were causalities on both sides, some of them fatal. Bellatrix had been brought down by her own cousin Sirius. Hestia Jones, Dean Thomas, and Seamus Finnegan were among the causalities on the Light side. The battle had ended when Harry had fulfilled the prophecy and struck the killing blow to Lord Voldemort.

When the Minister had arrived to take control of the situation, the Order realised that Rabastan was not safe near the battlefield, so he and Hermione Apparated back to Grimmauld Place.

For the first time in as long as she could remember, the house was quiet. Even the painting of Mrs Black was still, almost as if she knew the significations of what had happened. Hermione found the silence unnerving; moments ago, her head was filled with screams of pain and cries of grief, and the sudden silence seemed unnatural to her.

The battle hung heavy on both of them, the final battle may have been won, but they knew it was far from over. There was a long road ahead of them. The Wizarding world needed rebuilding and not in the same way it had been done after the first fall of Voldemort. The exchange of Galleons should not be an allowable sentence for crimes committed and claims of the Imperius Curse should not be accepted on blind faith.

Hermione was scared that Rabastan would be sent back to Azkaban. He may have changed sides, but a few good deeds would never be able to make up for all the devastation he had inflicted upon many people's lives. And even though Voldemort had overruled his original sentence when he had taken control of the Ministry, there were still other crimes he could be convicted of. The image of Rabastan sitting in a dark, dank cell brought tears to Hermione's eyes so suddenly, that she had to bite back a sob.

The sound of her distress caused Rabastan to turn and face her. He saw the tears in her eyes and held a hand out to her. Taking her hand in his, he pulled her towards him and wrapped her up in his arms. He didn't need to ask her what was wrong; the same thoughts had been running through his mind. The thought of returning to Azkaban didn't scare him as much as the knowledge that he would be away from her. He would fight death itself if he meant that he could stay by her side. He cupped her face in his hands and brushed away her tears. When he kissed her lips, he could taste the salty-wetness.

"What are we going to do?" Hermione asked as she stroked the stubble on his cheek.

"I do not know."

"We could run away," Hermione suggested. "I hear Australia is nice this time of the year."

"You have never run away from anything in your life," Rabastan pointed out, smiling. "And I'm not about to let you start now."

Hermione knew he was right. As much as she would have liked to, she knew she couldn't run away. As arrogant as it sounded, she knew she was still needed. For once she would have loved to have been selfish and tell everyone no, and leave, with Rabastan, to some place no one would find them. But that wasn't going to happen. She knew they were both staying. Rabastan had all but told her he wouldn't leave. His freedom meant nothing to him if he couldn't spend it with her.

Rabastan tucked a strand of hair behind Hermione's ear and ran his eyes over her. The signs of battle were visible on her body and the pale lemon bridesmaid dress she wore was torn and covered in mud. Blood stained her lips and bruises were beginning to form on her arms. Rabastan had the uncontrollable urge to hunt down the people who were responsible and kill them. He took her by the hand and led her through the old house until he reached the room they shared. He pulled her through the door, closing it behind them. Leading her over to the king-size bed, he sat her down at the foot of the bed, and knelt down in front of her, brushing a lock of hair out of her eyes.

"We should get you cleaned up; you are filthy," he told her.

Hermione reached out her hand and gently ran her finger over his blood stained cheek. The cut had already been healed, but his dried blood could still be seen.

"I'm not the only one," she replied.

Rabastan placed a kiss on the top of her head before he stood up and walked over to the small dresser beside the window, opening the top drawer and removing a vial. He handed the potion to Hermione with a smile.

Hermione accepted the much needed pain relief potion and drank it. She gagged at the vile taste, but the potion worked almost instantaneously, relieving her body of the pain that racked it. Closing her eyes, she lay back on the bed and listened as Rabastan moved around the room. She smiled as she heard him turn the shower on in their bathroom. A few minutes later, she felt Rabastan's hands on her legs and she opened her eyes. He smirked at her as he removed her shoes and Hermione held her hands out to him and let him pull her up.

Rabastan lead Hermione into the bathroom and pulled her to him. She went willingly into his arms, resting her head on his shirt-covered chest. He ran his hands up her back, tangling his fingers in her hair and angling her face so that he could capture her lips with his. He dropped one hand to the zip of her dress and slowly lowered it, not breaking the kiss as he pushed the dress of her shoulders and let it fall to the floor.

Hermione pushed her body against his as she returned the kiss, parting her lips and allowing him entrance into her mouth. She ran her tongue over his teeth before nipping on his bottom lip, before moving her hands down his chest, flicking open the buttons of his shirt as she went. She pulled his shirt out of his trousers and pushed it off his shoulders, down his arms and then completely off.

Rabastan unclasped her bra and, sliding it down her arms, he dropped it to the floor as his hands moved to the last item of clothing she was wearing. He twisted the thin material of her white lacy knickers in his fingers and yanked it, causing Hermione to yelp as it bit into her skin. Rabastan chuckled at the sound. He pushed Hermione to the running shower as he unbuckled his belt.

Hermione stepped into the shower, moaning softly as the warm sprays of water caressed her aching body. She felt Rabastan step into the shower behind her, his arms wrapping around her waist before pulling her into him, moulding her back to his chest. He ran his hands up her body, cupping her breasts while his lips attacked her neck; sucking and nipping at the sensitive flesh. Hermione moaned at the feeling of his hands on her body and pushed her arse into his groin, a whimper escaping her lips as she felt his erection against her.

Rabastan lowered his hands to her hips and ground his erection into her arse. Reaching for the bottle of shower gel on the shelf he grabbed a hold of it and squeezed a generous amount into his hand and then dropped it onto the floor. Lathering it up, he ran his hands over Hermione's back. He dropped to his knees behind her and washed the back of her legs before running his hands over the globes of her arse, and once he was satisfied that her back was properly lathered, he instructed her to turn around.

Hermione did so and turned to face him. She smiled at him as he ran his hands up her legs, covering them in the vanilla scented soap. A small whimper escaped her when he cleaned the inside of her thighs, which turned into a moan of disappointment when he ignored the place that was burning for his touch.

Rabastan rubbed circles on her stomach as he washed it, dreaming of the day when it would carry their child. Even so, he knew that day was a long way off, if it ever came at all. He pushed that dream to the side and raised his hands cupping her breasts and pinching her nipples, loving the sounds she made as he did. Standing, he moved Hermione so that she was placed directly under the showerhead, and watched as the water streamed over her body, washing the soapsuds off. He could see the pout of Hermione swollen lips and smirked. He had washed her everywhere, apart from where she really wanted to feel his hands.

He moved closer to her and crushed his lips to hers, pushing her against the shower wall and making her cry out in shock as the cold tiles hit her warm skin. Rabastan kissed a trail down her chin, nipping at her jaw before he moved down her neck and sucked hard on the tender flesh, marking her. He moved lower, finally sucking her harden nipples into his mouth. She cupped the back of his head and held him to her breast, and Rabastan obeyed the silent command and bit down on her nipple. He was rewarded with a cry of pleasure from the panting witch.

Rabastan suckled on her breast as he moved his hand between her thighs, running a finger over her opening, testing her. His thumb grazed her clit and when Hermione spread her legs a little further, Rabastan took advantage and pushed his finger into her wet opening. He thrust the single digit into her a few times before adding a second, all the while, rubbing circles on her throbbing clit. Dropping to his knees in front of her and, he placed a hand on her stomach and pressed down slightly, holding her in place as he thrust his fingers into her quicker, soaking up the little whimpers she was making. He replaced his thumb with his lips and sucked on the bundle of nerves.

"Oh god," Hermione cried out. "Don't stop."

Rabastan thrust his fingers into her harder as he flicked her clit with his tongue, and when he twisted his fingers as he thrust them into her, Hermione cried out in pleasure. Her hands flew to his head and pushed him closer to her sex. Rabastan nibbled on her clit before taking it between his lips and sucking on it hard. Stars exploded behind Hermione's eyes as she clenched around the fingers still thrusting into her. She threw her head back and came, letting out a low, keening cry. Her lover soon removed his fingers from the trembling witch, placing a kiss on her pulsing sex before standing up, his eyes burning with passion as he stared at her.

Recovering from her high, Hermione held out her hand in an attempt to pull Rabastan to her, but he stepped around her and turned the shower off. A flash of hurt flickered over Hermione's face, but before she had a chance to say anything, he wrapped a towel around her naked form, lifted her up, and carried her out of the bathroom back into their bedroom. He laid her on the bed before climbing onto it himself, and leaned over the still-panting witch, placing a kiss on her lips.

"I want you in our bed, love," he told her before pulling the towel from her body, leaving her naked once again.

Hermione ran her hands over his back, before slipping a hand between their bodies. She wrapped her hand around his cock, pumping him a few times and rubbing her thumb over the head, catching the small drops of pre-cum that were leaking out. She bought her fingers to her mouth and licked them, tasting him. She sucked one of her fingers into her mouth slowly, making him moan.

"Next time," he promised at her silent question. "But for now, I just need to be inside you."

Her body burnt at his words and she opened her legs wider for him, giving him all the permission he needed. He settled between her opened thighs and reached a hand between them, gripping his cock, and positioning it at her entrance. He caught her eyes and slowly pushed forward, entering her. He groaned at the feeling of her silken walls stretching around his cock, and only when he was buried deep inside her did he stop. He gritted his teeth at the feeling of her wet, warm cunt fluttering around him. It took all his willpower not to just pull back and thrust hard into her willing body.

Hermione wriggled beneath him desperately trying to get him to move. She ran her hands down his back and grabbed a hold of his arse, thrusting her hips up into his, but he refused to move.

"Rabastan," she whined, hating how needy she sounded.

"What?" he groaned, beads of sweat running down his face as he struggled not to move.

"What are you waiting for, an invitation? Move!" she cried.

He lifted his head and smirked at her, but remained still.

"Please," Hermione begged, her need for him growing unbearable.

"Tell me that you are mine," he demanded.

"I'm yours," she said. "Always and forever."

"No one else will ever touch you like this. You are mine and mine alone."

"Yes, yours - I don't want anyone else," Hermione told him. "Now, FUCK ME!"

"My pleasure, love," Rabastan told her, pulling almost completely out of her before thrusting into her hard.

Hermione cried out in delight as Rabastan thrust into her. She wrapped her legs around his hips and held on, raking her nails down his back, leaving angry red welts along the way.

Rabastan pounded into the screaming witch beneath him, his desire for her overriding everything else. Nothing else mattered. The world outside could burn, for she was his and his alone. No one else had ever touched her, nor would they. She had given herself to him, mind, body, and soul, and he would kill anyone who tried to take her from him. He remembered Rodolphus' words and the imprint of his hands on Hermione's body and increased the speed of his thrusts.

Hermione threw her head back in ecstasy. Her lover was taking her harder than he had ever taken her before, and Hermione loved it. She raised her hips and met him thrust for thrust. That small ball of tension inside grew tighter and she begged for more.

Rabastan was surprised at Hermione's reaction to the hard fucking he was giving her. He had always been gentle with her from their very first time together, when he had taken her virginity. But as he watched her thrashing around beneath him, screaming and begging for more, he realised that he didn't have to hold back with her.

He grasped her hands in his and lifted them over her head, pinning them to the bed and raising himself up slightly, beginning to thrust even harder into her. He snapped his hips, making her body sing. And as the little ball of tension grew tighter and tighter, filthy things spilled from her lips as she begged Rabastan to make her come.

He released her hands and dug his fingers into the flesh at her hips, sliding a hand between their joined bodies and thumbing her clit. He rubbed the slippery bundle of nerves before taking it between his thumb and forefinger and pinching it hard. The ball of tension exploded with shocking force, and she let out a deafening scream, her body convulsing as wave after wave of pleasure washed over her. She collapsed to the bed in a boneless heap, faintly registering Rabastan still thrusting into her body.

The feeling of her fluttering sleeve tightening around his cock was too much for him to handle. He gripped her hips tightly and came with a hoarse shout of her name, emptying his cum into her welcoming womb. He collapsed on top of her and felt her arms go around him.

Struggling to get his breathing under control, he lifted his head and stared at her. "Did I hurt you?"

"No," she answered, blushing. "I liked it a lot. It was nice feeling how much you wanted me."

"You have no idea," he replied, rolling off of her. He lay down beside her and then pulled the covers up over them before wrapping her in his arms.

They didn't know what was going to happen. Outside, it was a new world dawning. They had a rough time ahead of them, but at that very moment, neither of them cared in the least. They would face the future tomorrow, whatever future that might be.


End file.
